THIS invention relates to a dispenser for a flowable product such as a liquid soap.
Soap dispensers are widely used in corporate and public washrooms, in preference to soap in bar form. Most such dispensers contain liquid soap, which may be refilled from bulk containers into an open receptacle, or they may accept sealed cartridge type refills. Although the former are generally less expensive to operate, the sealed cartridge type is generally preferred as the refill contents cannot be tampered with and are generally more hygienic. It is also generally less easy to pilfer the contents of the cartridge, other than by depressing the dispenser lever continuously. Of the latter kind of dispenser, a number generate a foam, rather than merely dispensing a liquid or gel. Customers generally prefer the superior cleansing effect of the foam, and pilferage is largely eliminated as the foam cannot usefully be collected in any quantity. Known foam soap dispensers work either by the operation of a lever which generates air pressure in the dispensing system, or by means of a motorised pump which generates sufficient pressure in a reservoir of liquid soap to create foam.
Although an automatically operated device is preferred, it will be appreciated that a motor driven pump is relatively energy inefficient, and that the device would therefore normally need to be mains operated or, if battery operated, the service intervals for such a device would inevitably be short.
It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative dispenser for flowable products such as soap, which is more energy efficient but nevertheless highly effective.